Improvement in curry-combs



diritti nes WILLIAM E. LAWRENcE, o-E NEW Yon-K, N. Y.

Letters Patent No. 110,576, dared December 2r, .1870.

IMPRCVEMENT lN CURRY-COMBS.

The Schedule 'referred to'ln these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM E'. LAWRENCE, of the city, county, and State of New York, have "invented a new and useful Improvement in Curry-` Combs, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof', which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of' this specification, in which draw- 1ng Figure l represents a transverse section of this in vention, the line x x, Figure 2, indicating the plane of' section.

Figure 2 is a plan or top view of the same, partly in section. l

Figure 3 is a detached inverted plan of a blowing apparatus or bellows, which I use in connection with my curry-comb. l

Similar letters indica-te corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a curry-comb which is composed of a series of detached combs of' diderent ineness, said combs being secured to the back in such a manner that they can be moved in or out, so that the points ofthe teeth shall project more or less, as may be required.

The back of my comb forms a dust receptacle, and it is provided with au opening to which is fitted an air-tube, by means of which a blast or current of air is conducted into the hollow back of the implement behind the series of' combs, so as to blow away the dirt and dust that is loosened and detached from the skin of a horse or other animal by the operation of combing.

The blast or current ofair is produced by the hostler applying his mouth to a .mouth-piece at the free end of the air-tube,1vliich I prefer to make flexible, or the blast or current may be 'produced by means of a bellows held under one arn1,'and operated therewith after the manner of the bellows or pump of a bag-pipe while he plies the curry-comb with the hand of the other arm.

The letter A designates the hollow back orframe of my improved curry-comb, which I make of any convenient formvor size.

In this example I have made its 'sides B B straight, and its ends C U inclined, and I strengthen its sides by means of bracing-plates D D, which extend past the edges of the straight sides, and aid in supporting the outer combs.

The letter E designates-a series of combs, which I -arrange in or upon' the frame A, across its open bot-v tom, by means of'screw-rods F F, (one of' which is seen in fig, 1,) rmly'tixed across the frame or hollow back, the ends of said rods being secured in the bracing-platesD D.

The back edges of the combs E are slotted, so`.that they may be set over the rods F F, on which lthe combs are then fastened by means of right-and-lefthand nuts G G, which are placed on the rods in such a manner that they can be'screwed up against the sides of the combs, and clamp'them rmly andsecurely.

The slots in thebacks of the combs enable me to adjust the combs, one or all, further in or out, as may .be desired, to compensate for wear or for other purposes.

rIhc hollow back A is perforated at H to receive a pipe, I, .w.hich has a. joint that connects with theair-H tube J The connection of the air-tube J with the frame or hollow back A may be made in any convenient manner; the mode I have here employed consists in forming in the short pipe I an elbow-joint,which has a tapped hole that receives a threaded metallic tube formed on the end of the air-tube.

The air-tube is made 'preferably of ilexible material; so that the apparatus can be conveniently handled and moved about while in operation without disturb-I ing the production of theblast or. currents of airby means of oues mouth. VBut I also use, in place of a mouth-piece, a spring-bellows, L, to which I con# nect the airtube J iu the usual manner, the bellows heilig intended to be held under, and to be operated by, the arm.

In addition to the series of combs .ETI provide also an outside comb, M, which may be larger' and coarser than the others, and which I arrange outside of' the frame A, as is shown in figs. l and 2.

rlhe outside comb M is slotted like the others, so that it can be setover threaded rods N N, which extend across the frame A near its upper part, through the bracing-plates, and Ifasten it on the 4.rods and against the ii'ame of the curry-comb by means of clamping-nuts-O O, which turn on said rods N, the slots in the comb enabling me to adjust it higher or lower at pleasure.

In thepresent example I have secured a handle, P, to the body of the large comb M, and the implement can be operated. by means of this handle, andalso by grasping the frame A itself.

Upon the outside of-the comb M, between it and the clamping-nuts O, I place. a protecting-plate, Q, whose upper edge extends above theback edge of the -of dust.

` 110,57 i 2 comb M,andfo1ms an edge by which the curry-comb 4. The adjustable comb M, secured upon the outcan 'be 'struck againsbany' opposing surface lto clear it side of the hollow frame or back A by means of the rods N N and nuts O O, in combination with a handle What I claim as new, and desir'eto secure by Lei'j- P, substantially as described. tells Patent, is- This specification signed by me this 15th dayof 1. The combination of a curry-comb, with an air-` November, 1870. tube, substauti'allyas described. i

2. The combination -of a curry-comb, with 'an air- WILLIAM'E LAWRENCE. t-ube `and a bellows, substantially as desribed.

3. The adjustable combs O, fastened upon the rods Witnesses V: F F, as described, in combination with the hollow W. HAUFF, fragne or back A, the whole constructed substantially E. F. KAsTENHUBER. as and for the purpose set foitb. 

